Convergence of Souls
by Usako-chan
Summary: Ryoko/Tenchi pairing. A closure to the Tenchi saga, after the last movie. Tenchi finally confesses and everything is brought into light. WAFFINESS ensues...


Convergence By: Usako Rated: PG13  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi or anything whatsoever to do with it, besides all of the Tenchi movies on DVD.....yeah...but that's it....so don't sue.  
  
  
  
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!! DON'T READ UNLESS YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN THE TENCHI! FOREVER MOVIE!!!!!!  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, it's my first Tenchi fic so all you better be nice to me. ^_~ This story was inspired by the way Tenchi! Forever turned out. Needless to say, it left so much open and I wasn't too happy on how it ended..... I wanted some more things to happen between Ryoko and Tenchi. So here's my solution. By the way, the scene at the end of the movie is in this....but I've added more to it at the end.  
  
FYI: -------------------- Means present day  
  
Means flashback  
  
  
  
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She leaned back onto the Sakura tree branch, putting her hands behind her head looking at the blue sky filtering through the branches above her head. Ever since she could remember, she had always loved clouds. They fascinated her, because they seemed to take shape of a familiar object of some sort. Sometimes she would reach out and try to touch them, because they always looked close enough to reach. She wished she could lay on one, feel its soft texture as she ran her hand over and through it. Maybe the angels wouldn't mind if she borrowed one for a while. She smiled at her thoughts.  
  
She watched a cloud overhead. If you stared at it for just a little while, it would eventually take shape. She laughed when her mind registered the fact that the cloud she was looking at took the shape of a big carrot. Ryo- ohki would love that. The little cabbit was always thinking about carrots. There was nothing she loved more than those orange vegetables. She frowned slightly. Well maybe nothing except Tenchi.  
  
She bitterly smiled to herself. He was so different, no longer the boy she once knew. The variations in him were subtle, but they were there nevertheless, strongly reminding her of their presence. She couldn't really describe how he had changed. It was the little things she noticed. He no longer seemed green to the way the world worked.  
  
She closed her eyes and sighed. It was so hard to accept sometimes, to think about what had happened. He wasn't the same boy that disappeared that spring day not so long ago. It really depressed her to think of how much influence Haruna placed on him. It was so easily seen in some of his actions. He acted more like a man. She knew that he made love with her. It was so apparent. She wasn't sure anyone else could tell, but then again, no one really watched him as closely as she always had.  
  
She was convinced none of the others thought of her as a very observant person, but she was. If people would just take a chance to sit back and study their surroundings and the people around them, then things wouldn't be as confusing as they sometimes were and half the stupid things that happened would never happen in the first place.  
  
"Ryoko! Ryoko where are you? Ryoko!"  
  
She opened her eyes and looked in the direction of where the voice came that had disrupted her thoughts. It was Sasami. She watched as the child looked for her. She didn't answer the little Jurian princess. She wasn't in the mood to interact with anyone at the moment.  
  
She phased over to the roof of the Masaki house. She wasn't really being rude; all she wanted was some peace.  
  
She knew she would be left in solitude up here. It was her little haven. Sitting down, she faced the lake. Uncomfortable with her position, she laid down on her back, her hands resting behind her head once again.  
  
She wanted to be close to Tenchi. She really didn't know how to act around him anymore. She knew that it was inappropriate to so blatantly tease him the way she used to.  
  
She pleasurably thought of the day Tenchi and her shared after he returned back home. She remembered what he had said to her only a month ago.  
  
  
  
  
  
He had looked so peaceful sitting there drawing, so content in just absently drawing his surroundings. He looked far away. She was almost reluctant to bring him back from the world he immersed himself in. She almost turned away, but stiffened her resolve and remembered why she came up here in the first place. She walked closer to him.  
  
"What are you doing?" She slipped beside him, standing over him waiting for his response.  
  
"Oh, Ryoko!" he seemed startled but replied without a pause. "Drawing. I picked it up while I was gone." He looked back down to his folder, closing it. "You know, my dad used to draw. I think I'll keep drawing. I like the way it makes me feel."  
  
"I gotcha," Ryoko replied, "And how does it make you feel?" She asked not really expecting a straight answer.  
  
Tenchi looked up, straight into her eyes, slightly smiling as if he was hiding a secret or sharing something deep in his soul. "When I draw, it's like I'm trying to express how I feel. When I draw, I draw what's hidden deep in my heart."  
  
The wind blew through her hair, but she didn't feel it. She was completely absorbed with the young man in front of her. He stunned her. "Tenchi..." she managed to mumble out. What was he saying? She continued to look at him, not knowing why, maybe expecting something more from him.  
  
He smiled, getting up from his seat in the grass. He looked out over the lake marveling in the beauty of it all.  
  
"Ryoko, you remember what I told you when you came to rescue me from Haruna's world?"  
  
Ryoko could only nod. She remembered everything he said to her. The memory of the way he thanked her and acknowledged the special bond they had made her stomach flutter.  
  
"You told me that I understood you."  
  
He looked over at her and then turned his head back to continue watching the water. "It's true, you know. I've always known I could count on you. I never needed proof of it." He reached out, searching for her hand and clasped it. "Thank you for not ever giving up on me. I know I hurt you and I'm sorry."  
  
She hid her face by looking a little to the side away from Tenchi. When she regained her composure enough, she replied.  
  
"I know, Tenchi." She turned her face to look at him and found him watching her. She met his eyes and he smiled, while she smiled softly in return.  
  
  
  
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She smiled. It made her feel so special, so loved. It's like he no longer held any of his feelings from her. He cared for her and he told her so. He wasn't so obvious with the way he said it, but the message got across to her. She knew that he just wasn't ready to commit his feelings to her.  
  
He knew she loved him, everyone did. She wasn't shy when it came to her feelings for Tenchi. It was just different now, because she felt awkward joking with him in sexual manners. It was one thing when she knew he was a virgin and still ignorant of the subject, but all of that changed when he came back. She just couldn't bring herself to tease him anymore. It didn't seem right. She sighed and rubbed her eyes.  
  
Ayeka seemed to have backed off from him. She still couldn't believe the fact that Ayeka had conceded him to her. She never thought that would happen. She actually admitted that Ryoko was the one Tenchi loved. And to think, all it took was Tenchi going missing. She smiled at the irony in that.  
  
She still couldn't help but feel sorry for Ayeka. She couldn't imagine how she would feel if Tenchi loved Ayeka instead of herself. She admired Ayeka for her strength. Ayeka had once told her that she was so strong, when she herself was just as strong. She just didn't like to show her true feelings sometimes. It made her feel weak and exposed, both emotions not welcome to her. But Ayeka was different. She couldn't help but show hers. It was the way she was.  
  
Though she would never admit it to the Jurian herself, she really admired and respected her. You could say that they had even become friends. Searching for Tenchi made their differences obsolete. She figured it was time all the petty competition over him was over. It was getting old. They were getting too old for it.  
  
"I knew I'd find you up here."  
  
She jumped, a little startled by the interruption of her thoughts. She looked over to the side of the house, where the voice came from and saw Tenchi moving from the ladder over to where she was laying.  
  
"Don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed firmly.  
  
He just smiled at her tone. "What are you doing alone up here, Ryoko?" he questioned as he sat next to her lying form.  
  
She rested her arms behind her head. "Thinking."  
  
"About what?" he prodded.  
  
"...About a lot of things" she closed her eyes. "About everyone, Washu, Ayeka, Sasami, Mihoshi, Kyone" she paused before continuing, "...about you."  
  
When Tenchi didn't reply to her, she opened her eyes to see what he was doing, but was only startled once again. He was only inches from her face, looking at her, his arms on either side of her shoulders. She couldn't speak or think, she could only just look in his eyes.  
  
He knew he just startled and even confused Ryoko a little, but that was ok. As he looked in her eyes, he remembered his time in Haruna's world when everything seemed so blurred. He knew there was a reason nothing seemed right even though Haruna kept reassuring him that he was fine and that everything was fine. He now knew why she hated him painting the woman with the hazy face. She was Ryoko. It was always about her. Even when he couldn't remember who he really was, his heart wouldn't let him forget her. It wouldn't let him fall away from the one he truly loved. He stubbornly clung to his love for Ryoko which ultimately saved him from his fate in Haruna's world.  
  
"What are you doing, Tenchi?" Ryoko whispered softly, knocking Tenchi out of his reverie. He blinked.  
  
"I'm looking at you." He explained giving her a little grin.  
  
Ryoko blushed and it made Tenchi chuckle. He was definitely not acting like his old self.  
  
"Are you embarrassed Ryoko?" He laughed.  
  
"A little," she admitted, always the honest one.  
  
"Well, I must say that somewhat surprises me, since you are always the one making bold moves," he paused for an awkward moment, "Or you used to at least."  
  
He lowered his head until it was next to hers and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. He buried his head in the side of her neck, breathing in her scent. God, he loved the way she smelled... He loved her... Too much...  
  
Ryoko couldn't breath. What was he doing?  
  
"I'm thankful for you, you know." He whispered in her ear. "I really am."  
  
Ryoko blinked, tears coming to her eyes from his remark. She returned Tenchi's hug by wrapping her arms around his back. She didn't know quite how to respond to that, so she said the only thing she could.  
  
"I know," she choked.  
  
"Are you crying," he asked slightly shocked, a little humor in his voice. He pulled back to look at her.  
  
"No." was all she managed.  
  
He smiled. "You lie."  
  
She really did start to cry then, a few tears escaping down her the side of her face, disappearing into her hair.  
  
"Don't cry, please," he begged. "You know I can't stand to see any of you cry." He wiped one side of her cheek and then the other.  
  
"It's not like I can help it you know," she tried to joke. "I sure am ruining my mean bitch reputation. What will people think of me?" she reached up and poked him, "You better not tell," She semi-threatened.  
  
He laughed out loud then. "I won't," he promised. "I love this side of you though, Ryoko. It's a part of you that you shouldn't hide. We all love you and you should trust us enough to show us this."  
  
"I don't know what you mean," she laughed, knowing exactly what he meant.  
  
He laughed back at her. "Oh you don't do you?" He moved from over her and sat up once again.  
  
Ryoko followed his motion and sat up as well, bringing her knees up to her chest. She folded her arms and laid her head on them, facing Tenchi. She sighed, making Tenchi look over at her. She smiled sadly.  
  
"Aren't you tired of all the old games?" Ryoko asked him looking him directly in the eyes.  
  
He knew she wasn't joking anymore, that she was dead serious. "Yes," he replied, not losing contact with her eyes. He sighed and leaned back on his hands, breaking eye contact with Ryoko.  
  
"I never meant for things to settle like this. It just happened you know." He breathed in deep, like he was trying to control his feelings. "I feel like every time I look at one of you girls, I get accused of things I have no control over." He smiled suddenly and let out a quiet laugh. Turning his head towards Ryoko again, he continued, "I thought all of you were completely crazy when I first met you."  
  
Ryoko laughed at his remark, completely agreeing with his assessment. "You weren't too far off, I'm afraid."  
  
Tenchi changed positions once again. He turned on his side facing Ryoko and placed his head on his hand. "I don't know how you find this comfortable." He stated.  
  
She snorted. "I think it's great up here." She joked, "It's better than that rail I sometimes sleep on."  
  
He laughed. "Well, that's true." They sat in comfortable silence for a moment.  
  
"Ryoko..." he started, "I feel like you've changed somehow." He ran a hand through his hair. "You all have actually."  
  
"Well, you were gone for so long, so of course everyone has changed," said responded avoiding giving the real answer.  
  
"It wasn't my choice." He said quietly. When she didn't say anything, he continued. "Is there something you want to tell me?"  
  
She shook her head. "Not really."  
  
He frowned. "Why are you being so distant? It just doesn't feel right." When she didn't reply again, he started to get agitated with her. The silence started to get uncomfortable and tense. It was his fault anyway. Why couldn't he just get the courage to bring up what he really wanted to say and ask of her?  
  
"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was being that way," she retorted feeling like he was accusing her of something.  
  
"Don't be that way."  
  
"Be what way, Tenchi?" She was starting to really get aggravated, because she didn't know what he wanted. "You tell me to show my emotions more, but when I start to actually use them, you tell me 'Don't be that way'." She was so angry. She stood up. "Which is it? ...Because I certainly can't be both ways at once. I'm tired of it. I try to be myself and it's not good enough for you. I try to be what you want me to be and that's not good enough either."  
  
"Ryoko..." he looked genuinely confused then. "I don't know what to say. What do you want me to say?"  
  
"It seems to me that you never know what to say," She whispered, "...that's the problem." She wrapped her arms around her upper body.  
  
Tenchi stood up.  
  
"Forget what I said just then, Tenchi. I know it makes you uncomfortable when Ayeka or I try to force you into any kind of decision. That was wrong of me." God, everything felt so hopeless to her. "No matter how much I say or how many times I say it, nothing changes."  
  
Tenchi reached for Ryoko's hand. "Come over here with me. I keep feeling like one of us is going to fall off the roof if we keep standing up like this."  
  
Tenchi lead Ryoko over to the lower part of the roof and sat down, gently pulling her down next to him. Still holding her hand he began to speak, "Ryoko I meant every word of what I said today and that day as well." She knew what he was talking about.  
  
"I'm going to tell you something that I haven't told you about my time in Haruna's world," he paused before continuing, "The time I was there was good and on the other hand so hard on me. I constantly had flash backs."  
  
Seeing Ryoko's surprise at this, he quickly continued wanting to just get this out, "I had flash backs of Ayeka, but mostly, they were of you. Even when I saw Ayeka in my memories, you were the one they were focused on. I couldn't remember who you were at first no matter how much I tried, but you were there nonetheless. I saw you both, Ryoko, but you were the one who inspired me. On more than one occasion I drew your likeness. I felt you in my heart and it was like I was trying to help myself by remembering you. No matter how much Haruna had taken from my memory and made me forget, I never lost my vision of you."  
  
Ryoko didn't know what to say. She found herself incapable of speech. What do you say to something like that?  
  
Tenchi leaned over and gently wiped tears away from the corner of Ryoko's eyes. "You're crying again," he said, smiling affectionately at her.  
  
But Ryoko didn't laugh, she merely blinked. "What are you saying, Tenchi?" She held her breath, looking him in the eyes.  
  
Tenchi's face regained all seriousness, "Do you really have to ask?" Knowing no other words to express his feelings, he decided to show her. Without breaking eye contact he leaned forward and softy kissed her mouth.  
  
  
  
Ryoko's eyes fluttered closed. Her heart was racing so fast. She melted into the sensation of finally kissing the one boy who had ever made her feel this way, that had ever made her feel worthy of being loved. She opened her mouth to him, deepening the kiss that she never wanted to end.  
  
Pulling back from her, Tenchi looked at her and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. He smiled. She looked like she had been thoroughly kissed and had enjoyed it. He laughed a little at how simple everything seemed now.  
  
She smiled back, unable to control herself or her emotions. Without warning she leaned forward and kissed him again.  
  
Caught by surprise, Tenchi grabbed Ryoko to keep his balance. He had to muffle his laugh, though it was quickly cut off as he got serious about kissing her back.  
  
"Say it," she murmured against his mouth. "Say it, Tenchi."  
  
He leaned back and gazed into her eyes. He loved her so much and knew she loved him as well.  
  
He placed both his hands on either side of her face.  
  
"Ryoko, I love you."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I hope everyone liked this and it was worth their time. Boy was it ever waffy...but oh well. lol I have to say I'm rather proud of this......(Sighs).....but who knows if it's great or not! lol Only you can tell me....so.....R&R please!!!!! Thanks so much! 


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